 Poster: A snowHead
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Well the OH got the go-ahead from the doc after an op and we are off to Selva a week today, excited.com. It's a place we both have always fancied, but my step-daughter worked for Crystal and they had always stopped direct flights from Scotland this time of year for some reason. We had looked into DIY but the costs were prohibitive, it was always much more expensive (if anyone from NE Scotland has found a cheap solution I'd be all ears!). A wee dump is predicted in the next few days to put the cherry on top, so down to my question...
There are two lifts named Ciampinoi, a gondola and a chair, and our hotel is right across the road from the chairlift. It looks, according to the piste map (but we all know how NOT to scale they more often than not are) that it terminates halfway down a red. Was just wondering if it is herringbone/sidesteppable to the gondola terminal or not. There is a wee blue at the the village that takes you back to the Ciampinoi gondola, would we be better taking that first thing and getting the gondola up instead of the chair?
Also the OH had read on some guys review that the chair shut mid-week (he was away the same week as we are going on a previous year). I'm fully aware that resorts clip their uplift capability in the low season, just wondering if this is to be expected or if there is no hard and fast set date when it shuts?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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So where exactly is your hotel? If you are where I think you are (up the valley towards Plan de Gralba) then you can ski down into town.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Not sure exactly, but it's called the Hotel Pralong, and supposedly just across the road from the chair and 15 mins from the town centre, I think.
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dode, a few yards uphill from where you cross the river and you can take the little blue to the bottom of the Ciampinoi -- or, following the track to the right as you cross the bridge, will take you into the heart of Selva (a spot called the Crystal Bridge) where you can cross the road and take the CostaBella lift, which will give you access to the Dantercepes.
The chair near your hotel is a 'rickety' two person one ; you can ski back down the red into Selva/Ciampinoi , or turning left will take you to Plan Grabla (avoiding the nasty bit at the top of Ciampinoi.....).
Selva is available in Google Street View where you can check out your Hotel !!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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albob, cheers, I'll check out google street view.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Umm, opp Ciampinoi is a bit off. The Pralong is part way to Plan.
It's a bit of a schlep back down to Costa Bella to get off in the mornings. Not a biggy though. 
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"Umm, opp Ciampinoi is a bit off. The Pralong is part way to Plan."
That's why I asked.
Selva is bang on: we love it there!
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Mollerski,
Methinks he is talking about the Ciampinoi chair.......
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Ciampinoi chair would be a fair hike from there. In prob 20+ visits to selva, I've used that old clanker once, only because it was there and I'd never used it before. 
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I've skied the Lecht, I'm used to old clankers 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Ok cheers Mollerski, I'll take a look at the Costa Bella, sounds the best option if it opens up more of the mountain
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Just back from Selva where I stayed almost directly opposite the Gondola up to the Champinoi. Whilst the chair is a few hundred meters up from the Champinoi, I never had the chance to use it as it was always "uphill" It was snowing when I left but it hadn't for a few weeks prior to that. The red where the chairlift drops you gets very sloppy and incredibly difficult to ski by about 10.30am if it is sunny and warm, but as a first run it is fine early on and feels much more like a blue run. Once you get up the mountain whether it be via the Chairlift or the Champinoi gondola, you can avoid the sloppy, choppy slopes to get home numerous other ways. There was a relatively easy red from the Champinoi but it was closed due to avalanche threats and I doubt it will re-open before the season ends.
I was in Selva for 8 nights. Got sunburnt most days as the temperatures were in the 20's most of the time. T-shirts were typical under jackets while skiing. No hoods, neck warmers, thermals or anything like that. Look for shadowy runs by lunchtime if temperatures remain high as the snow holds it's form so much better. There was still heaps of snow around at Arabba and parts of Alta Badia a few days ago, though a metre or so disappeared whilst I was there. Pray for overcast days to keep temperatures down. Try to figure out where the "Sella Rhonda" crowds will be (only going in one direction due to avalanche near Marmolada) and avoid those lifts entirely for a few hours or face long queues. It will be quiet on lifts nearby going in different directions. Enjoy!
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You know it makes sense.
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Another avalanche near Marmolada? The one in Feb shouldn't close the Sella Ronda in either direction. But there is an avalanche risk zone on an essential piste above Arabba, and there was a metric shedload of snow.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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jaksbak, cheers for the useful info.
When did you get back? The reason I'm asking is because about 50cm was reported to have fallen from Sunday to Monday at the start of this week, although the reports may be wrong of course.
Really looking fwd to it now, flying out on Saturday.
Any good tips on where the snow holds up best?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Headed out Sunday morning and it was snowing quite heavily and more was forecast on the Monday. Temperatures had dropped considerably, so expected the slopes would remain firmer longer.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ski bag out the attic, packing tomorrow... Woohoo
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Sieser Alm really early is fantastic but slushes up very quickly after an hour or so if sunny. Ski to St Christina via Champinoi and then underground train/goldola up to the top. It's a great way to get the legs really warmed up. One very loooong run top to bottom. The trip back from Alta Badia has a couple of very frustrating small runs near the top of Dantercepies. You can't avoid it coming back to Selva, but be prepared for a workout. Lots of slow speed crashes and very busy. It's fine early on. Depending on your likes, I found it really enjoyable to ski the runs between Riz Sella and Passo Sella. not far from Selva. Late in the afternoons, the runs are largely deserted and the snow re-hardens as the sun disappears behind the Sassolungo (big mountain). It means you can go as fast or as leisurely as you like. I found myself doing the very long run from the top of the Passo Sella area all the way to Selva a few times over with few people and no waits at all on lifts. If you prefer the black runs, Arabba holds up well because of the shade. Have fun!
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jaksbak, thanks again for taking the time to help
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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dode,
How did you get on ?? :: Always been curious as to what Selva is like 'late' in the season.....
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albob, we had a great trip and will definitely return to the Sella Ronda area.
It was typical spring freeze/thaw conditions, with it being very chattery underfoot til about 10.00-10.30 ish before softening up. The beauty of having slopes facing in every direction was that you could pick your runs depending on the time of day to get the snow conditions that you liked. Also because of the huge number of km of piste and the quiet (empty at times) runs the slopes never got too cut up. Deterioration was more down to the sun as the day went on rather than because it was over-skied. The slushiest section we experienced was the bottom of the James Bond run at about 2pm. We could generally ski no bother til at least 3pm. It helped that the clocks went back at the start of our trip as the week before that would have been 2pm.
The snow took a fair shift in the week we were there, which was the last week of the season, but all the pistes were complete and it was still possible to ski back to the glass bridge.
On a side note the Ciampinoi Chair was just opposite our hotel, well across the road and river, but this proved irrelevant as it shut on the morning of our second day. This was AFAIK the only lift that did shut and uplift was very good right up til the end of the week.
It was very hot and sunny and lots of re-applying of sun cream was required. All in all a fab holiday in a beautiful place.
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Thanks for the reply..
"..very hot and sunny.." sounds good !
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